


our wonder hangs above our fear

by spilled_notes



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Holby City
Genre: Crossover, F/F, KSAW, Kate Stewart Appreciation Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 21:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12712914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spilled_notes/pseuds/spilled_notes
Summary: Kate has a lot of conflicting feelings about memory wipes. Meeting - and falling for - Serena Campbell forces her to confront them head on.





	our wonder hangs above our fear

**Author's Note:**

> Can be read as belonging to the same AU as my two previous Kate/Serena fics (but also stands alone). Thanks to @matildaswan for the pinecones...

Kate strides out of the hospital, hands jammed into her pockets, trench coat billowing behind her, almost shaking with anger.

 _How dare they?_ she thinks, barely aware of the two armed guards dogging her steps. _How dare they waste my time like this? Bloody military. I know they don’t approve of my approach – of me – but really? I thought they would be above making up hoaxes._

She rounds the corner and almost walks right into a woman leaning against the wall, an unlit cigarette between her fingers.

‘Always amazes me how many doctors smoke,’ Kate says conversationally, leaning against the wall beside her. ‘You’d think they’d know better.’

‘I don’t smoke,’ the woman replies, and Kate looks pointedly at the cigarette. ‘I mostly don’t smoke,’ she corrects herself.

‘What’s your vice of choice, then?’

‘Nice bottle of Shiraz.’

‘Much better,’ Kate smiles. For the first time the other woman smiles in return, her whole face lighting up and her dark eyes sparkling. ‘Bad day?’ Kate guesses.

‘Not the best. You?’

‘Oh yes,’ Kate agrees grimly. ‘Trying to modernise an organisation. Looks like I’m going to have to drag them, kicking and screaming.’

‘Sounds familiar,’ the woman says dryly. She opens her mouth to add something, but is stopped by the bleeping of her pager. ‘Back to it, I suppose,’ she sighs.

‘Chin up, shoulders back,’ Kate suggests. ‘Show them who’s boss, hm?’

The woman drops her unsmoked cigarette in the bin then turns to glance at Kate, offering her a brief, grateful smile before walking back into the hospital. Kate watches her go then sighs and follows her own advice: chin up, shoulders back. Time to get back to the Tower and make her displeasure felt. The military boys need to learn that, for all she’s a scientist and not a soldier, Kate Stewart is not to be messed with. The quicker they do, the better it’ll be for everyone.

*          *          *

A few months later, one of the lab technicians is injured in an explosion and it’s more than their limited medical resources at the Tower can adequately deal with. Once the clean up operation is well underway Kate follows to the hospital, goes straight to AAU with the bodyguards she no longer notices because they’re like shadows, and finds herself face to face with the same woman again, now wearing pale blue scrubs.

‘We must stop meeting like this,’ Kate quips.

‘Indeed,’ the woman smiles, and then frowns. ‘I’m sorry, why are you here?’

‘I believe you’ve been treating one of my employees – Mr Mackenzie?’

‘Ah yes. Not big on health and safety in your lab?’ Kate bristles at this, but the doctor places a calming hand on her arm. ‘I know, I know, accidents happen. He was remarkably lucky.’

‘Not sure he’d see it like that.’

‘I think he will when I explain to him that he could have lost his arm _and_ the sight in his left eye.’

Kate tilts her head in acknowledgement, her eyes filling with respect. ‘I saw his arm. You must be quite the surgeon.’

‘It was a tricky one, I’ll admit. But I do like a challenge.’

‘My kind of girl,’ Kate smiles. ‘I’m sorry, I never introduced myself: Kate Stewart.’

‘Serena Campbell,’ the doctor smiles, holding out her hand.

Kate takes it; Ms Campbell’s hands are soft, her fingers strong, her skin warm, and Kate can’t help lingering just a little too long before drawing her hand away. ‘Hope you’re having a better day than last time I saw you?’ she asks quietly.

Serena looks around them, tilts her head and smiles. ‘Well it’s starting to resemble a functioning ward. Not sure I’d go as far as to call it well oiled yet, but it’s getting there. How about you – the old boys still kicking and screaming?’

‘Oh yes,’ Kate says drily. ‘But I’m still dragging them along with me.’

‘Good girl,’ Serena says, patting Kate’s arm again, meeting her eye.

Kate only realises that Serena’s hand is still on her arm and that she’s still gazing at her when her phone rings.

‘Sorry, I’d better–’

‘Yes, yes, of course,’ Serena murmurs, blushing slightly and fiddling with her necklace as Kate moves away.

‘Duty calls, I’m afraid,’ she apologises when she hangs up.

‘Not another lab incident, I hope?’

‘No, thank goodness,’ Kate smiles. ‘Thank you – for taking care of him. And it was good to see you again.’

‘You too. Although I hope not to see you again too soon – not under these circumstances, at least.’

‘I’ll try my best,’ Kate promises, heading towards the exit with her shadows following a couple of paces behind.

‘Ms Stewart?’

Kate whips around. ‘Yes?’

‘Other circumstances, however, would be far from unwelcome,’ Serena says with a wink.

‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ Kate smiles, her eyes sparkling. ‘Have a good day, Ms Campbell.’

*          *          *

Something goes horribly wrong. It must do, because when Kate closed her eyes she was on Hampstead Heath and when she opens them she’s in the back of an ambulance, and she can’t remember anything that happened in between.

‘Osgood?’ she croaks, trying to sit up.

‘Just lie still, Ms Stewart,’ says a paramedic, looming over her.

‘I’m here, ma’am,’ comes Osgood’s voice from beyond Kate’s field of vision, and Kate allows herself to slump down again.

‘What happened?’

‘The, uh, the _thing_ exploded,’ Osgood says. ‘Not quite sure why yet, but we’re working on it.’

‘Any other casualties?’

‘Minor scratches and bruises only. Everyone else was far enough away when it went off.’

‘The military boys are going to have a field day with this,’ Kate groans. She can hear them already: _Should’ve just destroyed it. Shoot first and ask questions later._ Even her father, for all his emphasis on science: _Five rounds rapid._

‘We did manage to get some scans completed first, ma’am, and gather some samples, so it wasn’t a complete loss.’

‘I’m sure that’ll make all the difference,’ Kate mutters. ‘Just – try and find something useful in the data, won’t you?’

‘Always, ma’am,’ Osgood promises.

‘Tip top,’ Kate replies, letting her eyes slip closed. ‘Where are we going?’

‘The Royal London, ma’am.’

Kate feels a thrill run through her at this: she’s bound to be sent to Ms Campbell’s ward. Not that Ms Campbell is likely to be there, of course; it can’t be usual for departmental leads to work midweek night shifts. But just the possibility of seeing her warms Kate through.

Kate is right. When she’s wheeled onto AAU she’s assessed by a very competent registrar, who runs the whole gamut of tests and scans and says he’s going to send her for x rays in the morning, that they’ll monitor her overnight but she appears to be mostly unscathed. So Kate sends Osgood home, tells her to get a few hours sleep before she starts analysing tonight’s data, and settles in for the night.

When she wakes up in the morning Kate is grumpy and sore, a situation only made worse by the certain prospect of having to defend her approach – having to defend _science_ – to her military-minded superiors. Again. But then she glimpses Ms Campbell walking onto the ward, a bright flash of coral among the pastel walls and pale scrubs, and her mood lifts.

‘If you wanted to see me again, you could have just asked,’ Serena jokes when she reaches Kate’s bed on her morning rounds. ‘I’m guessing yesterday wasn’t such a good day?’

‘Not my finest hour,’ Kate agrees. ‘Although seeing you certainly makes today less awful than it was shaping up to be.’

Serena blushes prettily at this, and Kate suddenly doesn’t care what the consequences of last night are going to be.

‘Let’s see if we can make it even better, shall we?’ Serena smiles, beckoning one of the nurses over. ‘See if you can’t bump Ms Stewart up the list for x rays would you, Lou?’

‘Yes, Ms Campbell.’

‘Not that I don’t enjoy your company,’ Serena says, turning back to Kate.

‘Likewise,’ Kate smiles. ‘But I would rather like to be out of this bed and back to work. I’ve got rather a lot of damage limitation to do, I’m afraid.’

Her x rays – which she’s sent for far sooner than she expected – come back clear, and between surgeries Serena signs her discharge papers.

‘Try to keep away a little longer this time, hm?’ Serena teases.

‘I’ll try,’ Kate smiles.

‘If you really can’t resist me I’m sure we can find a reason less drastic than injury to meet up,’ she adds with a wink, before she’s called back into theatre.

Kate watches her go, watches the sway of her hips and replays that wink and Serena’s accompanying bright smile and sparkling eyes over and over in her mind. When her car arrives to collect her she leaves her card on the nurses’ desk, hopes it’ll find its way to Serena and hopes Serena was being serious, hopes she won’t think it a gross breach of the doctor-patient relationship.

*          *          *

Several events occur in quick succession.

Serena calls Kate and suggests they meet for coffee, suggests a place near the hospital but not so near that they’re likely to be ambushed by her colleagues. It’s near enough to the Tower too, although Kate would have agreed even if Serena had suggested somewhere on the other side of the city.

Kate takes a little extra care dressing that morning, desperately hopes no aliens will be inconsiderate enough to target Earth in the next seven hours or so, is somewhat stunned when one o’clock rolls around and she’s actually able to leave on time for a proper lunch break. They both order coffee (strong and hot, no messing around with shots of this or syrups of that) and Kate is relieved when Serena selects a sandwich and a pastry too because breakfast feels far too long ago, even if her stomach is fluttering with excitement and nerves at spending time with Serena. They talk and flirt across the tiny round table and Serena is all warm and sparkling and beautiful, and Kate realises she doesn’t really stand a chance.

When they leave they both lean in and press a lingering kiss to the other’s cheek, Serena’s hand caressing Kate’s arm. Kate feels tingly for the rest of the day; even a suspicious spike in energy readings at Greenwich Observatory that means she ends up staying late can’t ruin her mood.

*

Next, they go out for dinner. Serena has to cancel just hours before, and Kate has to cancel when they reschedule, but third time lucky holds true for them. They go to a little Italian Kate likes, one with good food and, more importantly, an extensive wine list; she checked in advance that they had a decent Shiraz and is glad she bothered because Serena’s face lights up and her soft moan when she tastes it warms Kate far more effectively than the alcohol. After they’ve finished they take a walk, arm in arm, and before Serena gets into a taxi to go home she brushes a kiss to Kate’s lips.

*

They go for coffee again the following week, go for dinner and to the cinema the week after and hold hands in the darkness, go for a drink afterwards and kiss in the corner of the bar; Serena tastes of Shiraz and popcorn, and Kate can’t help but moan as Serena twines her fingers in her hair and scratches lightly at her scalp.

‘I have an early board meeting,’ Serena murmurs in her ear. ‘Otherwise I’d invite you back to mine for a nightcap.’

Kate slips her hand under Serena’s blouse, runs her fingertips across the soft, quivering skin of her stomach. ‘Next time?’ she suggests, her lips ghosting across Serena’s.

Serena answers her with a kiss.

*

A week later pinecones the size of rugby balls appear overnight on Streatham Common and start rolling after pedestrians and cyclists alike, snapping at their heels and tussling with their dogs. They draw a crowd of onlookers – humans are nothing if not curious – but curiosity soon turns to alarm when the pinecones stop being playful and turn aggressive. Blood, apparently, makes them swell and sprout spikes made of some organic material as strong as steel. And makes them even more aggressive: they’ve killed several small dogs, maimed several larger ones, and injured a number of people before UNIT has chance to respond.

It’s just another day for Kate and she treats it exactly as she would any other incident – right down to deciding that a memory wipe for the public involved is necessary. This isn’t something they can easily explain away, and the mass panic they’ve seen today is definitely something that’s best forgotten.

She thinks nothing more of it until Sunday afternoon when she meets Serena at the Natural History Museum; they wander around the galleries, take a break for afternoon tea in the café and Serena reaches across the table to cover Kate’s hand with her own. When they set off again Serena rests her hand in the crook of Kate’s elbow, and Kate smiles and feels the stress of the week drop away.

‘It’s funny,’ Serena says as they look at a cabinet of tiny hummingbirds, ‘but I can’t remember a single thing about my day off last week. I know I had one, and I know I went shopping because I had fresh food in the house, but I don’t remember it at all.’

Kate’s mind goes blank and she goes into autopilot, trots out something vaguely soothing that could come straight from the UNIT protocol and hates herself for it even as she hears the words coming out of her mouth.

‘Are you alright?’ Serena asks, frowning. ‘You’ve gone terribly pale all of a sudden, darling.’

‘I’m fine,’ Kate replies, forcing a tight smile and trying to relax the tense muscles under Serena’s hand.

 _She’s just another civilian,_ Kate tells herself firmly as they move on around the gallery. _She needs protecting from this knowledge just like everyone else. It’s my job._

 _It’s my job,_ she repeats over and over, a silent mantra. But still she feels guilty.

*

Over the next six weeks Kate is busy: she has to visit Geneva, spends almost a week in Peru, misses Gordy’s birthday so makes it up to him with a weekend spent camping in the Brecon Beacons, has to deal with two minor incursions and oversee interference on a conspiracy website that has come far too close to the truth on one too many occasions. On top of the day-to-day running of the Tower, their routine experiments and research, upgrading the ravens, and the admin resulting from all of the above, of course.

Every time Serena suggests they meet up Kate has a ready-made reason why she can’t. Even so Kate knows she’s avoiding her, distancing herself because if she doesn’t she’ll fall for Serena even more than she has already, and then she’ll only have two choices: keep lying to Serena about what she does and keep wiping her memory when things happen (and things _always_ happen around Kate), or foist the terrifying nature of reality – that for some reason Earth is supremely attractive to a vast multitude of alien species – on her. Neither option is particularly appealing; however much it hurts now, it’s better this way.

After a while the calls get further apart, and notes of uncertainty and annoyance creep into Serena’s voice.

 _Even better,_ Kate thinks harshly, even as her heart aches. _Let her think I’m not interested. Let her think I don’t care. It’s better this way_.

*          *          *

Kate is at a meeting at Whitehall, doesn’t know that something is happening until an aide comes in and says there’s an urgent call for her. She’s annoyed at being disturbed during such an important meeting, but it turns to worry when she hears the reason. The lift takes too long; she takes the stairs instead, jogs down them and into her car, tells her driver to go straight to the Royal London and calls Osgood.

‘What do we know?’ she asks, forcing her voice to remain steady.

‘Not much yet, ma’am. It sounds like some sort of alien parasite that had been dormant and was woken by something the host human was treated with.’

‘Are we certain that it’s alien?’

‘Unless you can think of any other reason a man would suddenly sprout fanged tentacles from his chest.’

‘Fair enough,’ Kate smiles tightly. ‘Status of the affected ward?’

‘It’s been cleared of patients and staff and is in lockdown. Hospital security managed to isolate the host in a side room when the host woke and he became violent and sedatives had no effect.’

‘Patients and staff?’ she asks, her heart racing.

‘All accounted for. Some minor injuries from before he was restrained but nothing of concern, although we’ll need to monitor them for any alien influence.’

‘Alright. I’m almost there. Are you on your way?’

‘Just leaving, ma’am.’

‘See you soon, Osgood.’

The dogs are already in position when Kate arrives, her heels clicking as she strides along the corridor towards AAU. Despite the situation she can’t keep herself from seeking out Serena, finds her arguing with Colonel Shindi and smiles, because _of course_ she’s concerned for her patient and wants to be allowed in to treat him.

‘Situation update, Colonel?’ Kate says.

Serena spins around and stares at her. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Colonel?’ Kate presses.

‘Target has been secured in the side room, ma’am. Permission to neutralise the threat?’

‘Negative, Colonel,’ Kate replies, seeing Serena’s eyes widen and longing to reach out to her.

‘But ma’am–’

‘Absolutely not, Colonel,’ Kate says firmly. ‘We have to assume the host is an unwitting, _innocent_ civilian. Is Osgood here yet?’ she asks, deliberately not looking at Serena.

‘Just coming, ma’am,’ the Colonel says, looking past her down the corridor.

‘Excellent. Osgood, what’s the plan?’

‘Tranquillise and transport to the Tower for tests, ma’am,’ Osgood replies, a little out of breath.

‘Inhaler,’ Kate says absently, sticking her hands in her pockets and waiting as Osgood takes a puff.

‘Might I remind you that we _have_ tried sedating him already?’ Serena says archly.

‘Yes, but you didn’t have one of these,’ Osgood says, pulling a small orb from her bag.

‘It won’t harm the human host, but will sedate the parasite?’ Kate asks before Serena can interject again.

‘No, and probably,’ Osgood replies. ‘We don’t know what we’re dealing with so…’

‘Alright. Colonel Shindi?’

‘Ma’am?’

‘You and your men cover Osgood. We have to assume that if the host is near death the parasite will jump to the nearest body. You are not to fire unless absolutely necessary, and then only to injure – is that clear, Colonel?’

‘Yes ma’am. With me,’ Colonel Shindi calls, and a group of soldiers advances to the doors onto the ward.

‘Ms Stewart, I don’t know what authority you have but might I remind you that this is _my_ ward?’ Serena says, her voice cold and hard.

‘I’m sorry,’ Kate says softly, turning to her and meeting her eye as Osgood follows the dogs through the doors. ‘I really am, Serena. But right now that doesn’t mean anything. This is a UNIT operation, and my word goes.’

‘You don’t understand. He came in for an operation, and if he doesn’t have it today he _will_ die. Which would be bad news as far as this – this parasite – is concerned, correct?’

‘Correct. What do you suggest?’

‘You’ll effectively be anaesthetising him, yes?’

Kate nods, thinks she can see where Serena’s going with this and quickly realises she has no choice.

‘Then let me operate on him – your soldiers can observe, just in case – and you can take him away once he’s stable.’

‘Fine,’ Kate agrees. ‘You and your team go and scrub in – I don’t know how long he’ll be knocked out for.’

Serena hurries away, calling her registrar and one of her juniors to follow.

‘Colonel, are you in position, over?’ Kate says into her walkie-talkie.

‘In position Greyhound One, over.’

‘Whenever you’re ready Osgood, over.’

There’s a flash of light through the windows in the door, accompanied by a vibration like a silent roll of thunder and followed by a very definitely inhuman screech, long and undulating and almost painful.

And then silence.

‘Osgood?’

‘It worked, ma’am.’

‘Good work. Get him down to theatre on the double so Ms Campbell can operate.’

Kate watches through the window as Serena gets to work, seemingly oblivious to the half a dozen soldiers standing around the edges of the room and Osgood sat beside the anaesthetist, another orb ready in her hand. Watching her, you’d never know this was anything other than an ordinary operation but even through the glass Kate can feel the tension in the theatre – and the relief when it’s over without any alien induced complications and he’s wheeled away to ITU, Osgood and the soldiers following.

Kate lingers in the corridor outside the scrub room, hands in her pockets, smiles at the junior and registrar when they pass her, waits a little longer and then goes in search of Serena. She finds her standing at the sink, hands gripping the edge so tightly her knuckles are white.

‘Serena?’ Kate says softly, cautiously touching her arm.

Serena turns to look at her, wide eyed and breathing too fast, and all Kate wants to do is reassure her – not as the head of scientific research at UNIT who’s running this operation but as the woman who’s fallen for her. Because Kate _has_ fallen for her, completely and utterly; she hadn’t realised until today quite how much she’s missed Serena, how much she’s been throwing herself into work to avoid thinking about her, how desperately she’s wanted to see her.

‘You’ve been incredible today,’ she says quietly and sincerely. ‘Fantastic and fearless.’

Serena smiles, but her eyes are still wide and Kate can feel her trembling slightly. And then she sees Serena’s eyes flick to her lips and she can’t help it.

Serena’s lips are soft, and after a moment her hands stop gripping the sink and grip Kate instead, holding on for dear life as she deepens the kiss, her tongue swiping along Kate’s lips and then slipping inside.

Until Kate remembers where they are and what’s happened today and disentangles herself; she doesn’t look back as she strides from the room. The adrenaline is wearing off now and the guilt is eating at her because she knows what her team is doing upstairs, interviewing everyone who was on Serena’s ward today and then wiping their memories, knows she’s forever going to have the feel of Serena’s lips on hers in this room seared on her memory but that soon Serena won’t.

She doesn’t make it far before she hears the door behind her open and close, hears Serena’s footsteps approaching.

‘Kate,’ she calls, anger clear in her voice.

Kate stops but doesn’t turn around, waits for her to catch up and flinches in surprise when Serena touches her arm and tugs until she turns around, her gaze still fixed on the tiled floor.

‘Look at me,’ Serena says, her voice softening a little.

Kate takes a deep breath and raises her eyes to meet Serena’s, finds herself on the receiving end of a look she suspects Serena uses on recalcitrant patients and misbehaving juniors, somehow simultaneously firm and concerned and caring. But it’s tempered by fear and confusion and Kate knows she has no choice, knows she has to ignore her guilt and protect Serena by taking it away from her – even if that does mean taking away her other memories of today too.

‘I think we need a drink,’ Serena says, smiling shakily at her. ‘Or several. And I think maybe you owe me an explanation.’

 _What the hell,_ Kate thinks. _She isn’t going to remember any of it anyway._

So she lets Serena lead her into her office, sits as Serena makes it clear to the rest of the ward that she’s off shift and not to be disturbed and then firmly closes the door, as she reaches into her bottom desk drawer and pulls out two glasses and a bottle of wine.

Kate takes a sip, then another, looks away from Serena and, her gaze fixed on the corner of the desk, begins. She tells her about UNIT and their remit, about her role and how she’s bringing science to the fore of a predominantly military organisation, how today was nothing compared to some of the things she’s already dealt with – certainly nothing compared to some of the things UNIT has dealt with in the past.

‘You expect me to believe that all this happens and no one else notices?’ Serena asks incredulously.

‘Most incidents can be explained away with cover stories – meteors or Derren Brown or chemical leaks.’

‘And those that can’t?’

‘Memory wipes,’ Kate says quietly, staring down at the wine in her glass. ‘Sometimes it’s the only way to protect the general population.’

Serena doesn’t reply. Kate risks a glance up to find her gazing into the corner of her office, fiddling with her pendant.

‘That day,’ she says slowly, like she’s realised something she really doesn’t want to be true. ‘That day off when I couldn’t remember what I’d done. Was that– did you…?’

‘Yes,’ Kate whispers. She resists the urge to look away, keeps her head up as Serena looks at her. ‘I had no idea you’d been affected though, not until you mentioned it.’

‘And today?’ she asks, her voice cold and tight, fury blazing in her eyes. ‘My colleagues, my patients? Me?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Kate says helplessly. ‘Unless you can come up with some plausible explanation for what happened on your ward today.’

‘So what – I just won’t remember a thing about this?’

Kate nods.

‘And you’re okay with that?’

‘I,’ Kate begins, and then sighs. ‘I know they’re safe, and I know I only sanction their use when it’s absolutely necessary.’

‘That’s not what I asked.’

‘I’ve felt so guilty,’ Kate admits. ‘But what else can I do, Serena? If I don’t do it then you’ll remember all of this – remember that aliens are real and the universe is far larger and scarier than you’ve ever known. How can I make you live with that knowledge? It isn’t fair.’

‘Shouldn’t I get to make that decision?’

‘It’s my job to keep the public safe, to keep people from panicking. It’s UNIT protocol.’

‘Bugger protocol. I’m not going to let you hide behind that as an excuse.’

Kate stares at her, shocked.

‘I’ve seen you here four times in the past six months. Which I would guess means you don’t have the medical facilities or personnel to deal with at least the more serious injuries sustained during some of these incidents, and that this is your closest hospital?’

Kate nods, watches as Serena’s anger fades and is replaced by the enthusiasm of a new idea taking hold, through her anxiety wonders at how quickly Serena has moved on from fear and disbelief.

‘Would it not, then, be useful to have a sympathetic, knowledgeable medic on site here? One who has at least some understanding of what it is that they’re dealing with when these things happen and would get in touch with you immediately? A sort of liaison, if you like, between UNIT and the Royal London.’

‘I can’t just give you a job at UNIT,’ Kate protests.

‘I’m not asking you to. I’m just asking you to look into the possibility of developing a professional relationship between our two employers, for the mutual benefit of both.’

‘I must admit, it would make things rather easier,’ Kate concedes.

‘Excellent,’ Serena beams, standing up and reaching for her coat. ‘Why don’t we discuss it over dinner, start putting together a proposal for both of our superiors?’

‘Serena?’ Kate asks, and she turns back around. ‘Are you– are you sure about this?’

‘About what? Dinner?’

Kate shakes her head. ‘About – well, about knowing all of this? Knowing that there are aliens, that there’s this whole terrifying reality that’s been hidden from you your entire life?’

‘It’s going to take some getting used to,’ Serena admits. ‘You manage, though. Your team manages. Why shouldn’t I be able to? Especially when I have you to help me,’ she adds, smiling.

‘You still want me around, after all this?’’ Kate asks, incredulous.

‘Oh my darling,’ Serena purrs, trailing her fingers across Kate’s shoulders. ‘It’s going to take far more than a few poxy aliens to put me off you.’


End file.
